Dustin Hoffman Recalls Terrifying Moment He Was Held at Gunpoint by Married Lover's Husband: 'You Will Do Anything to Avoid Getting Killed'
Dustin Hoffman recalled having a gun pulled on him.
Nov. 9 2026, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
Dustin Hoffman reflected on one of the more harrowing experiences of his youth, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In an episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast that was released on Monday, November 9, he asked the former late-night host if he'd ever had a gun pointed at him. When O'Brien told him he hadn't, Hoffman spilled his own story.
Dustin Hoffman Recalls Being Held at Gunpoint
According to Dustin Hoffman, he was once held at gunpoint while having an affair with a married woman.
According to the 89-year-old, it all started when he decided to have an affair with a married woman.
“She thought that once her husband went to sleep that he stayed asleep,” Hoffman explained. “I was invited to come over after he went to sleep.”
Hoffman went on to claim that he and the woman had been having “a festival of sorts” when her husband “walked in with a gun" and told him to leave.
Dustin Hoffman Thought He Would Die
Dustin Hoffman remembered what it felt like to have a gun pointed at him.
“When you have a gun pointed at you – first of all, that hole is much bigger than the actual hole – you realize how, any second, he’s gonna pull that trigger,” he explained.
“His finger is on the trigger and you think, any second," Hoffman admitted. "You realize, that’s it. I’m gonna die. You will do anything to avoid getting killed.”
Fortunately, he was able to walk away unscathed.
Dustin Hoffman's Love Life
Dustin Hoffman married his wife, Lisa Gottsegen Hoffman, in 1980.
The Rain Man actor ended up marrying his first wife, Anne Byrne, in 1969. Their marriage lasted until 1980, when they decided to go their separate ways. They had one daughter together, and Hoffman adopted Byrne's daughter during the relationship.
Shortly after his split from Byrne, Hoffman married his longtime family friend, Lisa Gottsegen Hoffman. The two of them have been together ever since. They share four children.
Dustin Hoffman's Relationship With His Wife 'Continues to Grow'
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In a 2017 interview, Dustin Hoffman said his marriage to his wife Lisa just 'continues to grow.'
During a 2017 interview, Hoffman opened up about his marriage, claiming that it “continues to grow” as the years go by.
“I say in Hollywood it is like dog years, so you have to multiply that by seven,” he joked.
“We work hard at it,” Lisa noted. “I knew I was going to end up with Dusty, and that my life would be traveling around with him.”
